


Subway Delay

by nega_mek0



Category: Persona 3, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Gen, Oneshot, animal lover minako, future au thing but minako is alive, morgana is angery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2021-01-31 03:43:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21439666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nega_mek0/pseuds/nega_mek0
Summary: Minako sees a cat on the subway. One thing leads to another.
Kudos: 54





	Subway Delay

**Author's Note:**

> I spent ages writing and rewriting this but you know what I'll just put it up

“Yongenjaya Station…Yongenjaya Station…” 

The train doors opened and a drove of people entered, occupying the few vacant seats left in the cabin. This made no difference to a certain pair of young women, looking just a little older than high school students.  
“Akihabara, Akihabara!” Minako chirped, dangling her legs off her seat like a little kid, but not swinging them too far.  
“You seem quite excited. If I am not wrong, the sole purpose of this journey is to buy the Neo Featherman DVD special. Why did you not ask Yukari-san about getting one? I'm sure she has a copy of it, given her role as an actor on the show,” a girl of similar age inquired calmly, contrasting Minako’s behaviour by sitting quietly next to her.  
  
The girl twisted her face in annoyance. “Well, I would've done that, but Yukari just had to be super stubborn about it and tell me to go buy it myself. I'm her good friend, you know? Couldn't she have lent it to me for just a lil’ while?  
“That being said,” her expression relaxing again, “Tokyo is a pretty huge place compared to Port Island. Akihabara’s sure to have plenty of things to do, compared to our city’s stinky old arcade,” Minako looked up as she noticed the train was still part-way to the next station.  
  
“What's taking so long?”  
The train had been stationary for quite awhile while she was rambling.  
“The train ahead has run into a track fault and we have to stop until the problem has been fixed. We apologise for the inconvenience…”  
The passengers’ disgruntled complaints resounded throughout the cabin. Minako was no exception.  
“There have been quite a lot of these in Tokyo recently, according to the transportation data I had gathered prior to our departure. Perhaps I should have recommended a different line.” Aigis observed.  
“Forget that! It's way past noon! The Neo Featherman DVD Special…it's gonna sell out…and worse, if we don't get back to the hotel on time, Mitsuru’s gonna…” Minako trailed off, shivering at the very thought. Her cheer from before had disappeared into the stuffy air of the train cabin.  
  
Aigis leaned towards the sullen Minako.  
“Cheer up, Ham-Ham,” she comforted the girl, patting her on the back, though the impassive look on her face wasn't very convincing.  
“H...Ham-Ham?! What kind of creepy nickname is that? I sound like that pet penguin from that one depressing robot anime!” Minako almost-shouted incredulously, snapping her head towards Aigis.  
“Junpei-san gave me the idea. He informed me that nicknames establish a close bond between humans by displaying familiarity with them.” she replied flatly.  
"It's not a nickname if it doesn't mean anything!" Minako huffed and shook her head. “Well, don't call me that again, okay?! Stupei indeed…next time I see him, I'll—huh?”  
  
Cutting off her threat, Minako stared at the seats across her.  
Seated next to the doors, a small group of teens sporting uniforms were talking amicably among themselves. On the lap of one of the guys—who seriously needed a haircut—was a black duffel bag. And out of the bag poked the little head of a black cat with bright blue eyes.  
Minako was out of her seat in an instant, followed by Aigis.  
  
She raced up to the high-school students, who looked up, confused at the sight of the two.  
“Is that a cat?!” she squealed, clasping her hands. “He's so cute! Not as cute as Koro-chan, but…can I pet him?” She raised her hand tentatively.  
  
The dark-haired boy gave a nod. No one objected, leaving the grinning Minako to do as she pleased. She reached for the cat’s head.  
The cat hissed angrily and used its paw to bat away Minako’s hand. It gave a high-pitched meow at the boy.  
Minako, however, did not give in and determinedly gave the cat a pat on the head. It relented and bowed its head. This came across as a sign for Minako to continue, enthusiastically petting the feline's back in a firm but affectionate manner.  
  
Strangely, a chill went up her spine. She flinched a little, her hand retreating.  
“You traitor…you traitor…” the cat muttered in a resigned tone.  
  
Eh? The cat?  
The voice was too high-pitched to be a human’s, but…  
Her ears never fooled her. The cat just talked.  
Minako took a few steps backwards in disbelief.  
“Did…did the cat j-just…talk?” she stuttered out.  
Both cat and group stiffened immediately, the students looking between the feline and Minako.  
They were silent for a whole ten seconds, exchanging looks amongst each other.  
A girl with pigtails laughed awkwardly, “Ah, ahaha…cats can't talk…”  
Something was definitely up.  
  
"You traitor, you traitor…" Aigis repeated in a monotone voice. "That was what the cat was saying, but…" She cocked her head, turning to Minako.  
“Normally, animals are unable to communicate like humans. Are you perhaps able to comprehend the language of animals as well?”  
"I don't remember learning anything like that! That cat just spoke! Like a person! Didn't you hear it as well, Aigis?" Minako dismissed Aigis's preposition and turned towards the cat again. “C’mon, kitty! Say something!” There was a hint of desperation in her voice as she said so.  
  
Silence descended upon the group, if only for a few brief moments. Soon, the…cat spoke up again, its voice seemingly quieter and more hesitant than before.  
“...I'm not a cat.”  
“See! It can talk! It's saying that it's not a cat!”  
Triumphant, Minako pointed at the cat and looked back at the android, waiting for her response.  
"It is indeed asserting that it's not a cat, but to the average person, it's simply meowing. For you to understand it…how peculiar, Minako-san."  
“What? I…you guys heard it too, right? Tell me I'm not the only one!” Minako fixed the group with a piercing glare, that someone had better agree with her, or else—  
  
Suddenly, the train gave a sudden jerk and rumbled, finally beginning to move. Minako squealed at the sudden movement and lost balance, unconsciously clutching onto Aigis’ arm for support. The android looked around.  
“It seems that our seats have been taken. Why don’t we go over to the next cabin and have a seat instead of bothering these students. If you would excuse us,” Aigis bowed politely and firmly grabbed Minako’s arm, pulling her away into the next cabin and ignoring her fervent protests.

——

The Shujin students watched as the two girls walked away.  
“Those two…” Ryuji muttered in disbelief. “Don’t tell me, they've been there too…?”  
“Perhaps there are a lot more Persona-users in Tokyo than I thought,” Ann replied.  
Morgana grumbled and settled back into the bag. “You traitor...How could you have left me at the mercy of that cute but creepy…Hey, Yusuke, what are you looking at?”  
The artist was still looking in the direction the girls went. “That blonde-haired girl…she seemed rather odd.”  
“How so?”  
“She was moving rather…mechanically, so to speak. Also, those blue eyes of hers, cold and unchanging…it's almost as if she's a robot.”  
Yusuke’s expression brightened as if he had just thought of something. He went on, “A human-like robot...the bond between man and machine…what a fascinating subject! If only she would model—”  
“Now don't you start getting any weird ideas!” Ann objected loudly.  
The group burst into laughter, the unusual incident quickly pushed to the back of their minds. 

“Shibuya Station... Shibuya Station…”


End file.
